


Love Can Heal

by LibraryMage



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Father-Son Relationship, Found Family, Gen, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Episode: s01e15 Fire Across the Galaxy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 04:01:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19455922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibraryMage/pseuds/LibraryMage
Summary: After being rescued from the Sovereign, Kanan is confined to the medbay.





	Love Can Heal

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Bad Things Happen Bingo prompt "confined to bed rest."
> 
> warning for references to torture

_The needle pierced his arm, sending another dose of whatever they were drugging him with coursing through his veins._

_“You_ will _tell me about the others,” the Inquisitor said. “It’s only a matter of how much pain you want to endure first.”_

_“I—I’m not telling you anything,” Kanan spat._

_“We will find them, one way or another,” the Inquisitor said, gripping Kanan’s chin and forcing him to look at his tormentor. “Which one would you like to see die in front of you first?”_

Kanan gasped as his eyes opened. There was something small and warm pressed against his right side. It didn’t feel dangerous, but he instinctively tried to pull away. A burst of pain shot through his left side and he bit down on his lip to stifle a shout, stopping himself before he could move any further and cause himself any more pain.

As he blinked slowly, trying to get his bearings, he noticed a tightness across the skin of his left arm. He looked down to see an IV stuck into his forearm, part of the tube held to his skin with medical tape. His eyes widening in terror, he reached for it, intending to rip it out, only for a hand on his arm to stop him.

He flinched at the touch and looked down. Wide blue eyes met his, and finally Kanan realized what that warm something curled up against his side was. Ezra was next to him, his eyes tired and a bandage fixed over his cheek, but otherwise apparently unharmed.

“It’s okay,” Ezra said, stifling a yawn. “You’re just dehydrated.”

Slowly, the events of the past day and a half came back to Kanan, the pieces falling into place in his mind. He’d escaped. His crew had rescued him.

“You’re in the medbay on Phoenix Home,” Ezra said. “They said you had to stay here for a few days.”

“I know,” Kanan said with a nod. “I remember now.”

Ezra released his hold on Kanan’s arm and settled back down at his side, blinking slowly before his head settled against the bed and his eyes fully closed. Kanan smiled as he looked down at his padawan, wondering how much sleep the kid had actually gotten while he was gone.

He jumped at the sound of footsteps approaching. He looked up to see a pink-skinned Twi’lek woman approaching, holding a datapad. After a moment of wracking his brain, he recognized her as one of the medics.

“Good,” she said, smiling slightly when she saw him. “Waking up on your own is a good sign. You remember your name?”

“Kanan Jarrus,” Kanan said.

“And the year?”

“15 Y.O.E.”

“Perfect,” she said, making a note on her datapad. “You’ve been on fluids long enough, so I can take that IV out.”

Kanan nodded, and the woman made quick word of removing the IV catheter from his arm. Kanan held back a sigh of relief when it was finally out. Of course he knew the difference, but he couldn’t help but think of the needles that had been shoved into his skin, delivering dose after dose of drugs he couldn’t identify as they tried to break him.

His hand found Ezra’s and he squeezed it gently, pulling himself out of those thoughts before they took over completely.

“What about Ezra?” he asked. “How long does he need to stay here?”

“He’s not a patient,” the woman said.

“He’s not?”

She shook her head. “He just wanted to stay with you,” she said. “He hasn’t left since you were admitted.”

For a moment, Kanan just stared blankly down at Ezra, who was still fast asleep in spite of the conversation going on around him. He looked so peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos that had landed them here in the first place.

“He’s been here the whole time?” he asked.

“Yeah,” the medic said. “Captain Syndulla tried to get him to go back to your ship to rest, but he wouldn’t leave.” She hesitated for a moment, as if unsure of what she was about to say. “He must really love you.”

Kanan smiled, releasing Ezra’s hand and gently brushing back a lock of his hair that had fallen into his face. He knew what the medic said was right. Ezra had never actually said it, and after everything he’d been through and everyone he’d lost, Kanan couldn’t blame him. But he’d seen it in Ezra’s eyes, heard it in his voice, and felt it flowing across the Force bond that tethered them together. The kid might not be able to let himself say it, but Kanan knew that Ezra loved him just as much as he loved Ezra.

“Yeah,” he said. “I know he does.”


End file.
